Smart Caching

Cost-Efficient Blockchain Access with Smart Caching

Backpac’s Smart Caching feature reduces unnecessary RPC calls to third-party providers, helping you save on API credits and CU (compute unit) costs. By caching blockchain data based on the block time of the network, Backpac ensures efficient access to blockchain data without compromising accuracy. This feature is seamlessly integrated into Backpac’s API Key system, providing control over caching behavior for your applications.

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How Smart Caching Works

1. Block-Time Based Caching

• Backpac uses the blockchain's block time to determine when cached data is valid and when to fetch fresh data.
• Cached results remain valid for 60% of the blockchain’s average block time, balancing performance and data freshness.

2. Intelligent Caching Rules

• Caching is applied to read-only RPC methods (e.g., eth_call, getProgramAccounts) that don’t require real-time state changes.
• Write operations and critical methods are excluded to prevent stale data issues.

3. Dynamic Expiry Management

• Cached data automatically expires after 60% of the block time, ensuring your application retrieves fresh data when needed.

4. Third-Party Call Optimization

• By reducing repetitive calls to third-party RPC providers, Smart Caching minimizes:
  • API credit usage.
  • Compute unit consumption.
  • Overall costs.

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Blockchain Network Block Times

Backpac calculates caching intervals as 60% of the average block time for each blockchain network. Below are the block times for supported networks:

Blockchain Network	Average Block Time	Cache Duration (60%)
Ethereum	~12 seconds	~7 seconds
Solana	~0.4 seconds	~0.24 seconds

Backpac uses these cache durations to ensure accurate and timely responses while reducing unnecessary RPC calls.

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Benefits of Smart Caching

• Cost Savings: Reduces spending on API credits and CU usage from third-party providers.
• Optimized Performance: Decreases latency by serving cached results for read requests.
• Accurate Data: Ensures data freshness by syncing with blockchain block times.
• Flexible Control: Allows you to enable or disable caching per API Key.

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Steps to Enable and Manage Smart Caching

Step 1: Create an API Key with Smart Caching Enabled

1. Log in to your Backpac dashboard.
2. Navigate to the API Keys section.
3. Click Create API Key.
4. In the API Key configuration:
   • Enable the Smart Caching option.
   • Select the desired blockchain network(s) for the API Key.
5. Save the API Key configuration.

Step 2: Update an Existing API Key

1. Go to the API Keys section of the dashboard.
2. Select the API Key you wish to modify.
3. Toggle the Smart Caching option on or off as needed.
4. Save your changes.

Step 3: Monitor Cached Data Usage

1. Access the Monitoring section in your Backpac dashboard.
2. View the metrics for:
   • Cached requests.
   • Saved API credits and CU usage.
   • Expired cache data.

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Example Use Case: Smart Caching for Ethereum eth_getBalance

1. Request: A user calls eth_getBalance to fetch an account's balance.
2. Smart Caching in Action:
   • Backpac checks the cache for a recent result.
   • If the result is valid based on the block time (7 seconds for Ethereum), the cached balance is returned.
   • If the cache has expired, Backpac fetches fresh data from the RPC provider.
3. Result:
   • The user receives accurate balance data.
   • API credits and CU costs are minimized by avoiding redundant provider calls.

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RPC Methods Supported for Smart Caching

Solana

• getBalance: Fetches account balances.
• getProgramAccounts: Retrieves program-owned accounts.
• getTokenAccountsByOwner: Returns token accounts for a specific owner.
• getConfirmedBlock: Fetches block data for confirmed blocks.
• getTokenSupply: Retrieves token supply details.

Ethereum

• eth_getBalance: Retrieves account balances.
• eth_getBlockByNumber: Fetches block details by number.
• eth_call: Executes read-only smart contract calls.
• eth_getTransactionByHash: Retrieves transaction details by hash.
• eth_getLogs: Fetches logs for a specific range of blocks.

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Managing Applications with Smart Caching

1. Multiple API Keys: Use separate API Keys for different applications, enabling or disabling Smart Caching as per their needs.
2. Dynamic Toggling: Adjust caching settings at any time to optimize cost or ensure real-time data access.
3. Monitor Effectiveness: Track savings and performance improvements through Backpac's analytics dashboard.

Backpac’s Smart Caching is designed to reduce costs and enhance performance for blockchain applications, allowing you to focus on building innovative solutions while keeping your operational expenses low.